Catching up

Sometimes when life overwhelms me my brain goes into such overdrive that I cannot think straight nor write anything down. The past two weeks have been so hectic for me that I did not email my friends nor write on my blog obviously.

This is going to be one of those posts that goes all over. I'll do my best to organize it into topics to make it easy on the eye, but I warn you it may get really long.

A BAD JOB INTERVIEW

I had a disappointing experience at a job interview which I thought was just a formality. It started out by the manager asking me to come for an interview with her assistant. Her assistant turned out to be a young lady in her late 20's, which is not really what I had expected. I come from a company where a job interview is held with two males in their early 60's, both of which hold a high position in the company. And here I was being interviewed by someone who has a boss to answer to.

It started out by me asking for some clarifications:

Three weeks vacation?

Response: "We only give two."

Me: That's a deal breaker. I want three.

Response: "Sorry."

Me: Salary $##,###!

Response: "Oh, we don't pay THAT much!"

Me wanting to respond with: "Ummm...shouldn't you be asking the client first if he's willing to pay?!!!"

Me: Do you pay for a professional membership? Because my company pays for my membership now.

Response: "No."

Me: Do you have training sessions for your employees?

Response: "It's only for Project Managers. You have to submit a special request to the president if you're interested, and it has to be approved by him."

Next it continued with the "job interview":

Young lady: "How do you feel about working in a small office or a cubicle?"

Me [in a fit of laughter]: "Are you fucking kidding me? Am I out of high school looking for a receptionist job that you're asking me this?"

Young lady: "If I called your employer and asked about you, what would he say?"

Me [thinking this is getting outright ridiculous]: "Ok, are you actually interviewing me? It's a done deal, the client wants me, you're about to lose the revenue off me if I walk away. Don't be so stupid!"

Young lady: "If I treat you like an admin, would you be interested in working for us?"

Me [just about outraged]: "Ok, you can shove this job up your ass. I'm done wasting my time here!"

The above is only partially fictional. Believe me, if you read between the lines of the interview, that'd be the interpretation.

I left the interview and walked straight into my client's office: "There's been some major miscommunication with your potential contracting vehicle. I was treated like an admin and not a project manager."

Client: "Oh, I truly apologise. I'll make some calls to straighten this out."

Following day, in the afternoon I get a call from the manager of the young lady.

Manager: "I understand you had a job interview yesterday and you had some questions."

Me: "Yes. Professional membership?"

Manager: "For what?"

Me: "PMI"

Manager: "What's that?"

Me: "Ok, you gotta be kidding me!"

Manager: "We only give 2 weeks vacation."

Me: "Oh dear, my client still hasn't talked to you, huh?"

Manager: "And you're asking for too much money, we only pay $20,000 less than what you asked for in your position."

Me: "Ummm...Did you even READ my resume? I'm way over-qualified for what you're implying here! I'm applying for a project manager position."

Manager: "No, you're not!"

Me: "YES, I AM!!! The client has an open position to fill my position and it's for a project manager."

Manager: "No, it's for a project analyst level 3."

Me: "And explain to me again why I'd take 2 weeks vacation (which is 1 week less than what I get now) and $10,000 less than my company gives me now?! Do I sound like a freaking moron to you? You can shove your program analyst level 3 position and forget about the potential revenue you could have gotten off me as a project manager. I'll take my business elsewhere!"

A GOOD JOB INTERVIEW

Two days later I contacted another woman, whom I've been in touch with since December.

Me: "Hi, I'm having trouble staying on board with this current client. Do you have anything for me?"

Business woman: "Sure! With your stellar resume - absolutely! Can you meet me tomorrow for coffee?"

Me: "Why, of course!"

Following morning:

Me: "My salary demand is $##,### + benefits.

Business woman: "Of course. That sounds about right considering you're a PMP with an outstanding resume."

Me: "Three weeks vacation?"

Business woman: "Three weeks vacation & sick time."

Me: "Oh, ok." [it's less than my company, but I'll figure it out]

Business woman: "The job is very challenging, are you sure you're interested?"

Me: "Absolutely!"

That evening I wrote an email with more questions:

Do you pay for annual professional membership fees?

Do you reimburse for parking fees ($225 a month)?

Do you have any training sessions for your project managers?

Do you pay for any licensing exam fees?

Answers:

Yes, I will pay for your PMI membership and your AACE annual membership.

Yes, I will reimburse you for parking.

Yes, we have training sessions every quarter.

Yes, I will cover misc fees for a licensing exam, plus the day off.

Hmmmm....tough call. Do I go for the company that treats me like an admin and offers me 2 weeks vacation and $10,000 less than what my company pays me now? Or do I go for the company that treats me like a respected Project Manager and offers me 3 weeks vacation & sick time, and a salary that is $23,000 more than what my company pays me now?

Wow, overwhelming decision here. Not sure I can take the pressure.

THE JOB

The job at this point is only a potential job and only tomorrow my future employer will meet with the client to see if they're interested in me. They'll look at my resume and will have to determine if they are desperate enough to take me.

I've already spoken to someone working there and I know two others who've worked there and were fired.

All three agree - highly stressful environment. Poor management. Lack of standards. No order. No organization. Lots of politics. Lots of incompetent end-users.

This is the ideal environment for me! The type of place I can thrive in because I like to put order everywhere I go. Of course the biggest question is whether they'll accept my opinions. I'm not necessarily the type of person who projects the attitude of "listen to me. NOW!" on first sight. I'm pettite - 5'3", 100lb soaking wet.

Hopefully, they'll look at my resume and say, "yes, she's the one for us."

Hopefully. Because if it falls through I'm freaking stuck with my current company which I can no longer stand and absolutely MUST leave!

HOUSE

After numerous agonizing weekends at the old house, it finally went up on sale yesterday. Not before I almost had a nervous breakdown from dealing with my hubsand and his screwed up list of priorities. Actually, I'm thinking this deserves a new post of its own. So I'll stop this here and continue another day.

PASSOVER

I think I tried to invite a dozen couples to my Passover meal tomorrow night. Instead I got, eleven "sorry, can't make it. But we have to do dinner sometime!" Ok, that's just lovely, but still - I want to have my very own Passover meal on MONDAY like all other 10 million Jews around the globe.

So I postponed it for the first time in my life by a day, to Tuesday just so a couple of friends can make it. Then it turns out - they can't make it. ARGH!

But I'm still cooking. A lot. And I'll have my Passover dinner. Even if it means my dog will have to sing the four questions.

EASTER

Cancelled this year. I don't have time for it. I've spent every single weekend in the past two months trying to get our townhouse ready for sale. I'm still living out of boxes in the new house because I have no cabinets here. We need to go shopping for closets! And we need to unpack.

Easter can wait a year.

BABYSITTING

Going to Chuck E. Cheese's with a six year old and a two year old for the first time is a blast. Quite an experience, especially when the two year old doesn't speak, AND understands only one language which I just haven't had the time to brush up on recently. Thankfully, the six year old apparently understood everything the two year old wanted.

This turned out particularly funny as we were eating Pizza, and the two year old says her only 2 English words the entire day: "AWESOME PIZZA!"

HEALTH

I've recovered from the flu. After dropping to 99 lb, I'm beginning to gain the weight back. Tfu Tfu Tfu.